Door structure



April 11, 1961 R. s. MOSS DOOR STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Sept. 17, 1958 60 1 2 l'ru/rzfo 1 fioerzfd mass DOOR STRUCTURE Robert G. Moss, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., assignor to Preway, 1116., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 761,617

'1 Claim. (Cl. 126-194) structure including a hinge mechanism affording pivotal movement of the door proper and a spring means providing a door closing bias, all capable of assembly together before mounting of the door, and requiring only attachment of hinge elements on opposite sides of the door to an oven frame or the like tocompletely mount the entire assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hinge mechanism having biasing means providing a door closing force which increases as the door is opened wider to thereby offset the increasing weight of the door as it approaches fully open position.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a range or the like embodying the principles of the present invention, illustrated with the oven front door in a substantially fully open, horizontal position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the range illustrated in Fig. 1, partly in section at about the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the door structure embodied in the range of Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating the parts inside the door when the door is in an upright, closed position, the view omitting a front cover panel in order to better illustrate the interior parts of the door; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, with the door fully open, taken at about the line 4-4 of Figs. 1 and 3.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exempliflcation of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, in a preferred embodiment, the invention is incorporated in a range structure generally designated 10,,which includes a frame defining the usual oven chamber 11 having inner side walls as at 12 provided with suitable ledges as at 13 for supporting one or more shelves as at 14. A rear wall 16 may include a suitable exhaust opening 17 adapted for connection with a flue or chimney. As is conventional, the oven chamber of the range is provided with a front opening 18 in a front frame 19 of the range. Preferably, the range includes a casing or outer cabinet in addition to the inner lining, one side wall 26 of the outer casing being visible in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the range may include whatever surface units may be desir- Patented Apr. 11, 1961 able, and may include other cooking chambers such as a roiling compartment, and additional oven chambers.

The front opening 18 of the oven chamber is adapted to be closed by a door generally designated 25, which is pivotally mounted by means of a pair of hinge plates 26, one adjacent each bottom corner of the door so that the door is swingable about a horizontal axis as at 27 forwardly and rearwardly or outwardly and inwardly between an upright closed position and a horizontal, fully open position. I The hinge plates 26 and the means associated therewith, including the door pivoting'means and the door biasing means, provided at opposite sides of the .door are identical in all respects, except for their positions, and only one will be described in detail.

The hinge plates 26 each include an upper end portion 216a having at the upper edge an outwardly turned flange 26b adapted to fit into an opening 12b in the side wall 12 of the oven inner lining in order to facilitate a secure mounting of the plate on the oven frame. The hinge plate includes a lower mounting portion 260 having a rearwardly projecting lug 26d adapted to fit into an opening (not visible) in the front panel 19 of the oven frame and thereafter to shift downwardly to aposition where a shoulder 26c seats at the bottom of the opening. After the lugs 26b and 26d are inserted in their respective openings and properly positioned, the hinge plate is secured in position by means of a bolt 28 passing through the side wall 12 and the upper hinge plate portion 26a and secured imposition by a nut 29.

As will be explained more in detail presently, the lower end of the hinge plate 26 includes a downwardly directed hinge lug 30 to which the door 25 is pivotally attached. Further, the upper portion of the hinge plate is provided at the rear with an inwardly turned flange 26 which provides a downwardly and forwardly inclined abutment surface cngageable by a stop arm on the door to limit movement of the door in a forward, opening direction. j The door proper is comprised of a pair of door panels including a rear or inner panel having a forwardly directed peripheral flange 36, and a front or outer cover panel 37 which has a rearwardly directed peripheral flange 38 telescopically fitted on the flange 36. It will be readily understood that this panelled construction provides a substantially hollow door structure adapted to receive the door biasing means. Preferably, the panel 35 is provided with a central dished portion 39 which may be filled with insulation, and if desired both panels 35 and 37 may include a suitable window opening as at 40 which may be closed in the usual manner by suitable Window glass.

Adjacent each lower corner of the door, the rear door panel. 35 is provided with a hinge element in the form of an elongate outstanding plate having at opposite ends laterally inwardly turned flanges 45a and 4512 which facilitate a fixed attachment of the hinge element to the panel 35 as by bolt and nut means illustrated at 46 and 47. The end of the plate 45 adjacent the flange 45b includes a hinge lug -48 pivotally connected to the hinge lug 30 of the adjacent hinge plate 26. It will be understood the pivotal connection in this fashion adjacent opposite lower corners of the door mounts the door to swing about a horizontal pivot axis. It will be understood that the rear panel 35 includes a suitable slot-like opening as at 49 enabling entry of the hinge plate 26 into the interior of the door.

The hinge element 45 also includes a rearwardly and downwardly directed, somewhat arcuately curved stop arm 50 which is formed at its end with a stop lug 51 abuttable against the stop flange 26] of the hinge plate 26 to prevent opening movement of the door beyond the position illustrated in Fig. 4.

The door is biased toward a closed position by means including, one at each side of the door, a spring 55 having an upper end fixed to the door and a lower end connected to the upper end of a connecting rod 56 which in turn has its lower end pivotally connected to the lower portion 260 of the hinge plate 26, as at 57.

The upper end of the spring 55 is anchored to the rear panel 35 by means of a slidable connecting link 60 having one end connecting to the spring as at 60a and an opposite end retained behind a nut 61 on a screw 62 having its head rotatable in a flange 63 fixed on the panel 35. Suitable openings, not visible, enable insertion of a screwdriver or the like through the flanges 36 and 38 to facilitate adjustment of the screw 62 after the panel 37 is affixed to the panel 35.

The pivot 57 for the connecting rod 56 has a predetermined position relative to the door pivot 27 in order to mg, and a readily attachable door therefor, said door increase the door closing bias as the door moves forwardly toward the horizontal fully open position. More specifically, the pivot 57 is positioned rearwardly and upwardly from the pivot 27. This arrangement, it will be understood, increases the distance between the pivot 57 and the support anchor 60a as the door moves from closed position toward open position, and thereby increases the tension of the spring 55 as the weight of the door increases to at least partly counterbalance the increasing weight of the door.

Further, the rearward displacement of the pivot 57 relative to the pivot 27 is substantially less than the vertical displacement between the two pivots, so that the angle between the line of spring force and the plane of V 4 necting links 60, screws 62, nuts 61 and connecting rods 56 may be positioned as illustrated. Connecting rods 56 are pivotally connected to the hinge plates. These parts are installed initially preferably with the tension on springs 55 relieved as much as is permitted by adjustment of the nut 61 in order to relieve the pressure on hinge plates 26 and facilitate manipulation of these plates during installation. The front cover panel 37 is attached prior to installation.

After installation, the heads of screws 62 are accessible to a screwdriver or other suitable tool through openings provided in the door panel flanges 36 and 38 to enable adjustment of the screws to increase the tension in springs 55 to the degree desired or necessary for proper door operation.

I claim:

An oven having a front, side walls and a front opencomprising, an upright rear door panel, a pair of binge lugs outstanding on the front of the rear panel one adjacent each lower corner thereof, a pair of generally planar hinge plates each having a lower end portion one of said hinge plates being pivotally attached to each of the front door increases as the door moves forwardly wardly turned flange on each hinge plate fitted in the thereby additionally increasing the door closing force as the weight of the door increases. Stated otherwise, the angle between a line 57-60a and a line 27-60a increases as the door moves forwardly. Thus, the door closing component of the spring force normal to the plane of the door increases as the door moves forwardly.

An important advantage of the construction illustrated resides in the ease with which the door structure may be preassembled before installation in the oven frame. Prior art constructions have included a variety of arrangements, most of which have positioned the door biasing spring and its appurtenances within the oven or range frame in difficult-to-reach places providing a distinct obstacle to initial assembly and to disassembly for repair. For example, the door biasing spring has been anchored on the frame at one end and attached at the other end to an arm such as the stop arm which projects deep into the frame structure.

In the present construction, the entire door biasing apparatus is assembled within the door proper, and the hinge means for pivotally mounting the door is also attached to the door prior to installation, so that the complete door structure may be pre-assembled and later attached to the oven frame simply by positioning and securing the hinge plates 26 to the frame. More specifically, with the front door panel 37 unattached, the interior of the rear door panel 35 is accessible for attaching the hinge elements 45. Hinge plates 26 are pivoted on the hinge elements 45. The members forming the screw supporting flanges 63 are welded or otherwise attached to the panel 35, after which the springs, conthe hinge lugs to form a door hinge pivotally mounting the rear panel to swing forwardly about a horizontal pivot axis, said hinge plates each having an upper coplanar end portion extending rearwardly through the i I rear panel in rearwardly extending planes parallel to the oven sidewalls, means for attaching said hinge plates to said oven side walls after assembly of the oven with the hinge plates and side walls in parallel planar arrangement including an opening in each side wall and an outassociated side wall opening, a pair of stop arms on said rear panel, one adjacent each lower corner thereof each extending rearwardly therefrom, a lateral stop abutment on each hinge plate, a stop lug on each stop arm, one engageable with each stop abutment for limiting forward swinging movement of the door, a pair of hearings on the front of the rear panel one adjacent each top corner of the rear panel, adjusting screws mounted respectively in the bearings, a pair of connecting links slidable on the rear panel each having one end slidable on one of said adjusting screws, a nut on each screw retaining the link thereon for adjustment, a pair of coiled tension springs one connected to each connecting link, and a pair of connecting rodseach having one end connected to one spring, having its other end pivotally connected to one hinge plate to bias the door rearwardly toward closed position and otherwise unconfined in movement, and a front cover panel attachable to the rear panel to enclose the hinge lugs, the bearings, the screws, the links, the springs and the connecting rods between said panels, the upper end portions of said hinge plates being unenclosed and enabling mounting of the entire door structure solely by attaching said hinge plates to an oven frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,922,587 Hoffstetter et al. Aug. 15, 1933 2,823,662 Aylor Feb. 18, 1958 

